Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Archive for November, 2022

Reblog #10 – Prayer

Prayer

openhands-thanking

Prayer is the topic of a book study we are doing with our pastor these weeks of November 2022. But, back in 2015, it was also a topic of discussion and the title of our guest minister’s sermon. Take a step back – and join me:

Prayer was the title of our sermon on Sunday, August 16, 2015 by Rev. Carol Shellenberger of Bozeman, MT. Here are the notes I took while I listened to her very meaningful and inspiring message:

Turning to the Lord in prayer
Is a habit I cultivate.
Turning to the Lord with concern
Is wise, before it’s too late.

But turning to the Lord in praise
Is a minute-by-minute habit.
It’s not just a request for courage
When we’re afraid. It’s a joy. Grab it!

Prayer is a source of inspiration.
Our Father has so much to give.
Prayer is a way to receive it…
The gift of wisdom; abundance to live.

Some folks expect too much or too little,
Looking for extraordinary results
Or doubting that God even hears.
But prayer is a part of us – like our pulse.

Turning to the Lord in prayer
Tells God we are here – and so is He.
We know He is wherever we are.
I know my Lord cares and answers me.

Prayer is not just a matter of speaking;
It’s conversation, but it’s silence, too.
If you never stop talking in prayer to God,
You never hear what He’s saying to you,

In Luke 11, Jesus teaches His disciples
To pray in a wise, simple way.
Recognize the power of God
And reflect on what this version has to say.

It’s a personal, approachable prayer
To Abba, our Papa, our Dad.
It invites us to be honest with God,
Especially when we’ve been remorsefully bad.

Be specific in naming your sins.
From your core, tell Him of your failure and fear.
Then look for the way your Savior responds.
Notice His Spirit within you. Feel His Love near.

God may not answer in ways you expect.
Our Lord is not Santa Claus in disguise.
Listen and look for God’s exquisite response.
He cares, He hears, and His response always is wise.

In faith, hope and trust,
Just PRAY!

Amen.

Take your troubles to the Lord today.
The Holy Spirit is in you – always ready.
The God of Creation who created you
Is here to help you … Helpfulness is steady.

There is nothing quite like prayer in song –
especially when it is Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion!

I have you in my prayers tonight, my friends.

Look up for your purpose!

Be safe. Be well…
See you tomorrow.
Love, JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, God, Jesus, Love, music, peace, Poetry, prayer, sermon notes, writing

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Reblog # 9 – Embrace Joy

Reblogging from  my 2020 “Embrace” series… the word for today is JOY. Pass it around!

joy

Want to be happy?
Just embrace contagious joy.
Hang with happy folks!

Find reasons to smile.
Folks will smile back at you.
Smiles are contagious!

Bee contagious!!

Psalm 144:15

“Happy are the people whose God is the LORD.”

The Good News:

God is the true source of
happiness,
strength,
hope,
and wisdom.

Those who are in His favor
will always have these things.

Just as mopey people can pull you into the doldrums,
Happy People can lift your spirits and make you smile.
Happiness is a choice… choose it!
Beeeee Contagious!
Spread JOY!
SMILE!

See ya tomorrow (of course, God is willing)

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Aging Gracefully, Bible Lessons, children, Faith, God, Haiku, Jesus, Living in Harmony, Love, mental health, Poetry

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Reblog #8 – Be at Peace

Seek the stillness
Seek the tranquility
See the peace within
The calm in you and me

Photo by Lisa Glines

Imagine a peaceful lake
Breathe contentment into your life
Relax and be a gentle presence
Turn away all stress and strife

Don’t try to hear me –
The wind drowns out my voice.
Just enjoy the scenery!

That is a video
Taking you down the driveway
to our home behind the trees

Photo by Nick Kwan on Pexels.com

Do not let the wind
Disturb your tranquility
The wind moves the clouds

The clouds paint pictures
The clouds bring much needed rain
Wind whips them away

Let the wind help you
Blow away any distress
And just be at peace

Smile, my friends!



When this post was first written,
Bob & I were headed out in the boat
to float the Madison River.
Since then, we have sold the boat.
A lot has changed in our lives.

I took this photo on my walk earlier the day this post was first written.

I took TazE for a walk by the river.
She loved it.
Today it is snowy and blowy here…
No river walks.
But I will post a few pictures to show you
what peaceful scenes our Madison River provides!

Many thanks to Ed Coyle for his talented photography

.

Come and visit us here someday!

Be at peace, my friends.

I gotcha covered in prayer.
Have a peace-filled day.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, Family, Fishing, God, Gratitude, Haiku, Living in Harmony, Love, Montana, mountains, peace, photography, Poetry, relationships, Travel

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Our Daughter’s Response

Our daughter, DeDe, in Switzerland read the blog I posted titled “Nostalgia” a few days ago. She tried to to post her response acrostic. WordPress wouldn’t post it. I am not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with the “110%” note at the top margin of the blog?? Anyway, here is what I tried to do for her, and it wouldn’t allow mine to post either!

DeDe, I love your acrostic! Sorry it didn’t post here. Let me see if I can write it for you so my WP readers can see it:

C aring
H appy
I nspiring
L oving
D addywaddypaddy
H ealthy
O nly
O verflowing
D elight

What a lovely memory of childhood our dear DollyWolly wrote!

I need to find a photo of DeDe with her DaddyWaddyPaddy!!

There we are together at the Geneva airport last August!

Aren’t daughters a blessing?
We thank God every day for ours!!

Category:

blessings, blogging, children, Family, Gratitude, happiness, Love, Poetry, relationships, writing

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Reblog #7 – Stay Positive

On January 11, 2020 I posted this blog.
I decided on this Mid-term Election Day, 2022,
it’s a good time to revisit the idea of positivity.
Here is what I wrote then:

“Today Bob & I had the privilege
of the company of two very happy, warm, genuine people.
Friends like these are part of life’s treasures.
We are so grateful for them.

This photo of Terry and me was taken a year ago at their place.
Bob with Jim a year ago

Last year we shared time with these friends at their place.
This year they are sharing time with us here in Rancho Mirage.

When you have friends who are happy and positive,
it is easy to remain cheerful –
even when crazy, bizarre things
are happening in the world around you.

Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com

My Haiku on this topic:

Never give up hope.
Find happy, warm, genuine
and sincere people.

Keep your eyes open
And your mind constantly keen.
Joy and kindness reign!

Let joy come to you
In the form of caring friends.
Let them fill your heart!

Today I will be quiet on WordPress.
It is my day to be present with my friends who are visiting..
I hope you have a beautiful …day.

I pray that you have happy,
warm, genuine friends
to share your day with you.
God bless you!

See you tomorrow.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Family, friendship, Haiku, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, prayer

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Reblog #6 – The Power of God’s Love

Posted back in 2014, “The Power of God’s Love” was my response to reading Bob Goff’s book, “Love Does.”
In today’s world here in the USA, one day away from one of the most crucial national elections in our democracy’s history, this message definitely is worth reblogging!!

May this message touch your heart strings and help you share a message of UNITY with those you encounter this week!

My 2014 Post:

Your hands are God’s heartststrings on earth.
The love of God is demonstrated by YOUR love.

I just finished a New York Times bestseller by Bob Goff titled “Love Does.”
My granddaughter loaned it to me at Christmas time with the highest of compliments:
“I know you’ll enjoy this book, Grammy.
I want you to read it and be sure to return it to me when I see you in February.
I have other friends I want to loan it to, also.”

How wonderful that she knew this book would resonate with me.
Chapter by chapter my husband and I enjoyed the book more than you can imagine.
We vowed to read a chapter a day. There are 31 chapters.
Some days we couldn’t put it down.

In 20 days we were finished with the book
and now we are going back to reread some sections
and internalize the messages.
You will want to do the same. Here are a few excerpts:

“…make a difference by getting to the ‘do’ part of faith…love is never stationary…love doesn’t just keep thinking about it…Simply put, love does.”

“The world can make you think that love can be picked up at a garage sale or enveloped in a Hallmark card. But the kind of love that God created and demonstrated is a costly one because it involves sacrifice and presence.”

“What I’ve noticed… is that almost every time I type in the word love, it gets changed to live. It’s a kind of reminder to me… Fully loving and fully living are not only synonymous but the kind of life that Jesus invited us to be part of…”

So, I am off to be fully loving and fully living today. I will put God’s love into action today by sharing it with friends and looking for ways to live the way Bob Goff does. The subtitle on the cover of his book says, “Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World.” I want to be secretly incredible today. Don’t you?

Love Does. I like that title.
It’s my walking orders.
The power of God’s love is in your hands and mine.
Let’s go DO God’s love today.

You with me?

If you are in the USA, be sure you have made your voice heard by casting your ballot.

God loves us… God loves you… I love you!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today.

See ya tomorrow.

Category:

blogging, Faith, God, Living in Harmony, Love, peace, writing

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Reblog #5 – Bee Thankful

November is designated as a month to reblog some of my favorite posts from years past. Here is one from November of 2013.

Bee Thankful

Image

Bee thankful
Bee cheerful
Bee prayerful
Life is just a bowl of honey!

Bee grateful
Bee forgiving
Bee carefree
Life is more than food and money!

Bee faithful
Bee mindful
Bee generous
Life is all about giving!

Bee compassionate
Bee humble
Bee a dreamer/doer
Life is Christ-like living!

Bee consistent
Bee persistent
Bee observant
Life is a constant prayer!

Bee joyful
Bee honest
Bee transparent
God is always there!

Image
I am Thankful… for every new day.
How about you?

God bless you! Have a lovely Sunday.
See you with gratitude tomorrow.

Love and hugs,
JanBeek

Category:

blogging, Giving, God, Gratitude, Love, optimism, peace, Poetry, writing

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Reblog #4 – Nostalgia

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

NanoPoblano2022 has invited us to reblog an old post each day during this month of November. I’m having fun going back through some of my first posts… Here is one from our vacation in southern California in 2014. The roadrunner picture in the original post was not available so I borrowed one from Pexels. Thanks!

January 27 2014

There was a Time Magazine article by Lily Rothman in which the author quoted artist, Brendan O’Connell, “Nostalgia makes memory warm.” O’Connell stopped to say parenthetically, “That’s actually a significant thought,” and I paused. Hmm – memories, nostalgia, warmth. Yes, it’s true. Not all memories are warm, but all nostalgic memories are warm. Do you agree? When you think of warm memories, what comes to mind? Here’s mine:

Childhood

Climbing
Hillsides
Into
Lands
Dense with
Hidden
Occupants
Ordering Hot
Dogs.

Hah! That’s my whimsical acrostic for today – looking back on yesterdays.

But, how about Making Memories Today?

Image

There’s no better place to make memories than where you are right now today! For me, whether it is in the warm desert on vacation in the southern California sun with roadrunners scampering by and sun casting spakles on cactus, or back home in the cold snows of Montana, each day is a memory in the making. The climate doesn’t determine the warmth of the memories. The people I am with, the events we choose, the lessons I learn, the visions I absorb: those are the nostalgia of tomorrow. I am making warm memories today – wherever I am!

Nov. 5, 2022 – our snow is almost all melted now. With today’s winds, the rest of it will blow off the roof of our house (peeking through the trees there).

That acrostic up there was mine back in 2014… but I have no idea how that could have been true. We lived in the flat central valley of California. No hillsides to climb! If I were looking back at my childhood and creating an acrostic today, it would say:

CHILDHOOD

C hasing
H ounds
I nto
L ittle
D ugouts
H aving
O odles
O f
D ead animals

Oh my! That one is reality! My dad owned a Tallow Works and one of his jobs was picking up dead animals from ranchers and farmers and bringing those animals back to the “plant” where we lived. We always had at least one dog as a pet… and they were always “hounds.” No money for pedigrees!! In our bare fields behind our house, my neighbors (cousins) and I would dig holes and create pretend worlds. That 2014 acrostic must have come out of that pretending. Sometimes our best memories are the imaginary ones, don’t you think?

If you were to write a childhood acrostic today, would yours be real? Or would you pretend?


I hope your real world is full of happy memories – warm nostalgia.
Have a great day today, my friends.

.

I had a warm, huggy, loving daddy. My memories of him are certainly warm nostalgia!!

Thanks for visiting
JanBeek
See ya tomorrow

Category:

Animals, blogging, children, Family, Love, Memories, Montana, Poetry, Sharing, writing

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Reblog #3 – Montana Sunrise

NanoPoblano2022 invited us to reblog an old post each day during this month of November. I’m having fun going back through some of my first posts… Here is one from 2013 … as pertinent today as it was 9 years ago…

A New Day Shines Before Me

A New Day

A new day shines before me –
Bright as the morning sun.
It’s stretched out on the horizon –
A happy, “Good Morning, everyone!”

A new day shines before me –
But first I must be still.
Listen for God’s voice within –
And prepare to do God’s Will.

A new day shines before me –
Full of promise, full of needs.
I pray and ask, “What can I do
To be Your Love in thoughts and deeds?”

A new day shines before me –
I hear the Holy Spirit within
Saying, “Go – and see the world as Christ did.
Be Love, Joy, Peace. Ready? Begin!”

Have a Fabulous Friday, my friends.
Thank you for visiting JanBeek.
See ya tomorrow for Reblog #4.

Category:

Faith, God, Jesus, Living in Christ's Family, Love, Poetry, Serving One Another, writing

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Reblog #2 – Reflections

NanoPoblano2022 asked us to reblog an old post during this month of November. One a day. I’m going to try to do that.

I added this image to the 2012 post. Back then, I did not understand how to use WordPress to its greatest advantage with memes and images that enhanced the words. My purpose in blogging today remains the same a it was a decade ago: to encourage love, joy, peace, faith, and unity among my blogging friends and to inspire us all to live a happier, more purpose-filled life.

My 2012 post:

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“My confession, admission, and plea to God today is this:

None of us lives to just self alone;
Each of us lives for the other.
Whatever we do, be it rosy or blue,
Reflects on our sister and brother.

None of us sits on the judgment seat.
We’re not assigned to decide
If someone’s dull or bright, wrong or right,
Sending them to a corner to hide.

None of us lives a faultless life,
Though we try our utmost to seek
The humble hill to fulfill Your will
In our deeds and the words we speak.

We stumble and fall and fail to be
Examples of the upright and strong.
Try as we may, we know that someday
We’ll have to account for each wrong.

We’ll each have to stand before Your judgment seat
And review how we’ve spent every minute.
So, Lord, help us give every day that we live
All the love and the grace You put in it.

Help us to generously welcome all
To be part of whatever we do.
None of us lives to ourselves alone;
We always reflect on You.

Amen?

Amen!”

Happy Reblogging, my friends.
See you tomorrow.

Love,
JanBeek

Category:

Bible Lessons, blessings, blogging, Faith, friendship, Giving, God, life, Life's Challenges, Living in Harmony, Love, Poetry, self-esteem, Serving One Another, Sharing

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